SRINAGAR, March 8 : Election Commission of India hold a meet today during which schedule for holding the Lok Sabha election 2019 is most likely to be discussed.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, two Election Commissioners and other top officials of the poll panel will attend the meeting.
In today’s meeting, the poll panel is also expected to decide on dates for conducting the assembly elections in J&K. Since the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly has been dissolved, the EC is bound to hold fresh polls there as well within a six-month period, which will end in May.
As per sources, the poll panel is in the process to soon announce the schedule for the high-voltage Lok Sabha elections, which is likely to be spread over 7-8 phases in April-May.
Sources said the poll panel is in final stages of completing its logistical preparations to hold elections for the 17th Lok Sabha and a detailed polling schedule could be announced as early this weekend or by early next week.
The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3.
While there is a view that the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections can be held along with the Lok Sabha polls, but a lot depends on the complex security situation in the state given the heightened tension along the India-Pakistan border.
The J&K assembly’s six-year term was to end on March 16, 2021, but it got dissolved after a ruling coalition between the PDP and the BJP fell apart.
